City Corner column: Lone Tree Creek Park leads list of city projects

By Jennifer Sourdellia
April 1, 2012 at 10:05 p.m.Updated March 31, 2012 at 11:01 p.m.

Can you please provide details about plans for a splash pad at the new Lone Tree Creek Park, about the amphitheater stage that is planned for Ethel Lee Tracy Park, and about plans to rebuild Red River Street leading to Riverside Park?

Yes. A 2,400-square-foot splash pad will be a featured attraction at the new 127-acre Lone Tree Creek Park that is under construction on East Airline Road.

The park is close to the Tanglewood, Deer Chase and Tangerine subdivisions. The park should be complete in June, weather permitting. The splash pad will include a variety of water sprayers, squirters and spills that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages. This $1.5 million project, which includes practice fields for baseball, soccer and football, was partly funded by a $500,000 matching grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The Ethel Lee Tracy Park amphitheater and stage project will be under construction soon. The amphitheater will seat 1,000 people and the stage will accommodate performances by the symphony, theater groups, bands and others.

The amphitheater will be available for rent and a fee schedule is in the works. The amphitheater and stage should be completed early in 2013. The Parks and Recreation staff is already planning events that will be held at this new facility.

Funding for the design and construction of the Tracy Park Amphitheater Stage was made possible by the Cloyde and Ethel Lee Tracy Foundation, M.G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation and the City of Victoria.

The rebuild of Red River Street from Vine Street to Memorial Drive in Riverside Park is currently in the design stage. The two-lane asphalt street will include a bike lane and sidewalk. Construction will begin August 2012 and should be complete by February 2013.

For more information, please visit victoriatx.org/ parks or call the Parks & Recreation Department at 361-485-3200.

Lately, I have been noticing blue reflectors along streets and roadways throughout Victoria. What are the reflectors for?

This is a great question. The blue reflectors that you see are placed on streets and roadways to indicate the presence of fire hydrants nearby. They are blue so they can be visible at night by fire trucks - that way if it's dark and the fire department gets a call at night, the blue reflectors help firefighters determine the location of fire hydrants.

Do you have a question about the City of Victoria? Please submit your questions and comments about any city department to Jennifer Sourdellia in the Communications/Public Information Office by emailing jsourdellia@victoriatx .org or mail to P.O. Box 1758, Victoria, TX 77902.